Wrench holder



Oct. 22, 1957 c, MIDKIFF 2,810,472

WRENCH HOLDER Filed July 20, 1956 Cecil L Mid/(if f INVENTOR.

BY MW United States Patent WRENCH HOLDER Cecil L. Midkiff, Port Angeles, Wash., assignor of fifty percent to Marjorie I. Midkilf, Port Angeles, Wash.

Application July 20, 1956, Serial No. 599,146

1 Claim. (Cl. 206-16) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in holders particularly for Allen wrenches and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a compact device of this character which will accommodate a complete set of such tools and which, further, may be conveniently carried in a pocket, if desired.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a holder of the aforementioned character comprising a novel construction whereby a wrench of the desired size may be readily selected, expeditiously removed and replaced after use.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an Allen wrench holder of the character described which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, of light weight and which may be manufactured at low cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view, showing a holder constructed in accordance with the present invention with a set of Allen wrenches mounted therein;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a top plan view, showing the upper end portions of certain of the wrenches swung laterally preparatory to selecting and removing a desired tool;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the holder without the wrenches; and

Figure 5 is a view in vertical longtiudinal section, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, showing the lower end portion of an Allen wrench aligned with its respective opening.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a flat, elongated body of resilient rubber, plastic or other suitable material which is designated generally by reference character 6. The body 6 is of a material thickness, as shown to advantage in Figure 5 of the drawing. The body 6 is substantially oval in plan and said body may be of any desired length and width.

The body 6 has formed vertically therein a multiplicity of circular openings of progressively reduced sizes arranged as shown in Figure 4 of the drawing. It will be 2,810,472 Patented Oct. 22, 1957 noted that one end portion 8 of the body 6 is free of the openings 7.

The resilient body 6 is adapted to receive and frictionally retain in the openings 7 a set of Allen wrenches 9. Toward this end, the diameters of the circular openings 7 are slightly smaller than the greatest diameters of the usual hexagonal shanks 10 of the respective wrenches 9.

It is thought that the use of the holder will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, the shanks ll of the Allen wrenches 9 are forced downwardly through their relatively somewhat smaller circular openings 7 thereby expanding, tensioning and shaping the walls of said openings to conform to the hexagonal wrench shanks 10. In this manner the wrenches are frictionally anchored in the body 6. The wrenches 9 are turned in the openings 7 to direct the relatively short, angularly bent upper end portions 11 thereof toward the imperforate end portion 8 of the body 6. When so positioned the end portions 11 of the wrenches 9 overlie the body 6 and all of said wrenches are completely in the vertical plane of said body. It will be observed that the upper end portions 11 of certain of the wrenches extend above the corresponding end portions of the other wrenches. To facilitate removal of any of the underlying wrenches, the overlying end portions may be swung outwardly as shown in Figure 3 of the drawing.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A holder for a set of wrenches of polygonal cross section and of progressively decreasing sizes and each including a relatively short, righf angularly extending end portion and elongated shanks, said holder comprising: an elongated flat resilient body of a material and uniform thickness having extending thereinto from one end thereof a substantially spiral series of spaced, vertical openings receiving the wrenches, said openings progressively decreasing in size from the outermost to the innermost thereof and being of a slightly smaller diameter than the largest diameter of the shanks of the respective wrenches received therein whereby the shanks will be frictionally gripped and retained therein, the other end portion of the body being free of the openings, said body being of a length and width to underlie said end portions of all of the wrenches when said end portions are parallel and extend toward said other end portion of said body from the openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 700,653 Jobson May 20, 1902 1,973,188 Verderber Sept. 11, 1934 2,236,333 Cowles Mar. 25, 1941 2,633,768 Saxby Apr. 7, 1953 

